With the miniaturization of bioanalytic tools, such as droplet-based PCR and temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis, precise determination of temperature in small volumes is desirable.
Certain measurement techniques, such as resistance temperature detectors, microthermocouples, cholesteric liquid crystals and infrared temperature profilometry can be unable to provide adequate temperature and spatial resolution to allow for the reliable characterization of these devices. In addition, certain detection approaches, such as resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) and thermocouples, can produce a heat load from the sensor itself. Infrared detectors, particularly those with large enough germanium lenses and suitably dense sensor arrays, can provide sub-micron spatial resolution, but generally offer limited temperature resolution on the order of 2-3 degrees Celsius, and can have difficulties in determining a room-temperature baseline. Cholesteric liquid crystals can achieve both high temperature and spatial resolution but can also be relatively complex in application, at least in part due to the application including treating the surface with a black paint primer prior to output wavelength detection.
There is a need for improved temperature sensors that avoid these issues.